Tassadar
|fgcolor= |image=Tassadar SC1 CineDeathOvermind2.jpg |imgsize=250px |imgdesc= |game=SC1 |race=Protoss |birth=c. 2143, Aiur |death=Late June, 2500, Gantrithor, Aiur |gender=Male |height=2.21 meters (7 feet 3 inches)StarCrat Figurine Box, accessed 12-6-2018 |weight=145 kilograms (320 pounds) |eyes=Yellow/blueBlizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: The Death of the Overmind. (in English). 1998. |job=Executor of the Koprulu Expedition (?—2500) *Captain of the Gantrithor (?—Late June, 2500) High templar (?—2500) |faction=Protoss Empire : Templar Caste :: Koprulu Expeditionary Force (?—Late June, 2500) Tassadar's Followers (Late June, 2500) |voice=Michael Gough (StarCraft) Michael Dorn (StarCraft II as Ouros Illusion)Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Credits. (in English). 2010. }} Tassadar was a protoss high templar and executor in charge of the expeditionary force which made first contact with the zerg. His forces also made first contact with the terrans when they sterilized the surface of Chau Sara in an effort to stem the growth of the zerg. Tassadar was extremely reluctant to sacrifice the terrans in order to destroy the zerg.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. He eventually lost his position as executor for sparing the terrans.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: First Strike (in English). 1998. Tassadar learned how to use the Dark Templar's energies'Zeratul:' "Greetings to you mighty Tassadar. I knew that you would not forsake us. For in the time that you have spent with us, you have learned to value our ways and our methods. You have learned to channel our dark power as well as that of your masters; thus, you alone have found completeness beyond the scope of the Khala. But I fear that the Conclave, in its pride, could never bring itself to welcome outcasts such as we." Tassadar: "Outcasts though you may be, it is your vision and courage that may yet save our Homeworld from the Swarm. I beg of you, Zeratul, return with us to Aiur. Though they are petty, and have, in ignorance cursed your kind for generations... help me save our people." Zeratul: "Since our banishment long ago, we have never failed in our responsibility to Aiur. Though it shall cause us great pain to see our homeland once more, we shall return with you, Tassadar. We will do what we can." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Into the Darkness (in English). 1998. and dared to bring them to Aiur. This alliance was responsible for the destruction of the dreaded Overmind, but not without Tassadar's sacrifice. His feats and selfless sacrifice earned him the title "Savior of the Templar."Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2013-11-26 Biography Tassadar the Warrior Tassadar "was born into a generation that looked set for a dynamic future", yet stood as an example for a growing rift in protoss society. Frustrated by the stoic, dogmatic view that his elders held of the past, Tassadar felt that the unbending nature of protoss society and their inability to reevaluate ancient traditions would lead to disaster. The Dark Templar were of special interest to him, but still stood in anathema to what he believed in. Regardless, Tassadar rose through the ranks of the Templar Caste alongside his friend Fenix. He walked the planet of Aiur for centuries as both warrior and philosopher.StarCraft Remastered, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2017-03-31 He eventually achieved the rank of executor. He was noted for his compassion towards "lesser races." He served as mentor to the young prelate Artanis, teaching him in the ways of leadership and how to be a warrior,Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Into the Void. (in English). November 10, 2015 with the Templar Selendis serving as a liaison between the two. Tassadar the Executor Not long before the Great War, Tassadar observed the actions of the terrans in the Koprulu sector, who had arrived in the region of space over two centuries ago. While on patrol under Tassadar's aegis the Koprulu Expeditionary Fleet encountered zerg deep space scouting creatures. At the time these creatures were merely curiosities from the unknown and they were returned to Aiur to be probed by khaydarin crystals. To the protoss' shock the creatures had a natural affinity for the crystals' energies, meaning they ultimately resulted from xel'naga genetic manipulation just as the protoss did. More disturbing, however, was the vague thought stream of the creatures which read: Find Humanity... Learn... Evolve. Tassadar argued that under the dictates of the Dae'Uhl the protoss were responsible for protecting the terrans. The Conclave opined that the "worthless" race of terrans should be eradicated if they were already infested by the new threat. Tassadar was sent with his fleet to monitor the terran worlds and gauge the severity of the impending danger, pursuant to determining what course of action to take. En route, Tassadar ordered the 7th Fleet, commanded by Executor Andraxxus and Judicator Syndrea, to detach from the Koprulu Expeditionary Fleet and secure the Brontes system as a path for withdrawal from terran space.Aztech New Media. StarCraft: Insurrection. Level: Satellite Platform. (in English). 1998 It was too late. By the time the Koprulu Expeditionary Fleet approached the terran colony world of Chau Sara on 8 December 2499, the zerg were already extant on the planet. Although reasonably certain that any surviving terrans were beyond hope,Metzen, Chris & Samuel Moore (March 29, 1999). "StarCraft: Revelations." Amazing Stories 596 (Spring): 20-27. Tassadar carried out the Conclave's orders to sterilize Chau Sara with great reluctance. The sister world of Mar Sara was infested as well. There, however, Tassadar hesitated. After being met by token resistance by a Terran Confederacy fleet led by Edmund Duke,Golden, Christie (June 30, 2009). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #3: Twilight. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0-7434-7129-9. Tassadar announced himself and withdrew, unable to follow his genocidal orders. He sought a way to defeat the zerg without wiping out humanity in the process. He wondered if humanity might have greater potential than to be unwitting casualties of the zerg or protoss. The Battle for Koprulu Tassadar began taking a more proactive role. Even as terrans were abandoning Mar Sara, Tassadar personally led a landing party to Fire Base Chimera and fought the zerg. At the base he encountered the terran marine Andre Madrid who was being infested. At the terran's request Tassadar euthanized Madrid. As at Chau Sara, Tassadar ordered the sterilization of Mar Sara only once he was confident there was no further hope.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Jacobs Installation (in English). 1998. The Koprulu Expeditionary Fleet followed the infestation to Antiga Prime. Again the protoss gave the terrans time to escape, even offering an alliance against the zerg. Once the Delta Squadron detachment sent to evacuate the planet was defeated, Antiga Prime befell the same fate as Chau Sara and Mar Sara.Rosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4.Biting the Bullet In the meantime, Tassadar's rearguard in the Brontes system was overwhelmed and entirely wiped out as the zerg threw their full weight against them.Aztech New Media. StarCraft: Insurrection. Level: The Ultimate Conquest. (in English). 1998 Arriving at Tarsonis on the heels of the zerg, Tassadar came into direct conflict with later-nemesis Sarah Kerrigan for the first time. The terran and her troops succeeded in frustrating early protoss attempts to engage the zerg, allowing the zerg to overrun Tarsonis.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: New Gettysburg (in English). 1998. Break with the Conclave: Invasions of Char and Aiur ]] In the aftermath of the Fall of Tarsonis, the Conclave ordered that Tassadar return to Aiur for punishment, humiliation and possibly execution. Tassadar refused to return.Golden, Christie (June 30, 2009). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #3: Twilight. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0-7434-7129-9. Psionic energy drew his attention to the world of Char.Tassadar: "As you know, the Zerg vanished after the fall of the Terran world of Tarsonis, and though the Conclave bid me return home, I was compelled to remain. A powerful psionic call drew my attention to a remote, barren world named Char." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Into the Flames (in English). 1998. The cry called for him by name, and gave him some information, such as Char being the zerg base of operations. Tassadar sent most of the fleet back home, retaining only the Gantrithor and its crew and passengers. He told his preserver adviser, Zamara, to return to the safety of the Sanctum but she refused. Upon arriving at Char the protoss struck the orbiting terran fleets of Alpha Squadron and Raynor's Raiders. The terrans were under attack by the Zerg Swarm and Tassadar ordered the terran ships destroyed to prevent their infestation. The terran flagships Norad III and Hyperion escaped. Tassadar met Jim Raynor, the Raiders' leader and Mar Sara survivor, stranded on the surface. The protoss explained his actions and won a tentative alliance with Raynor. Finally the Khalai met the Dark Templar Prelate Zeratul. Zeratul had demonstrated the Dark Templar's ability to slay cerebrates by killing Zasz; the Khalai were unable to do so as they did not wield void-based psionic energies. Despite this crucial ability, Tassadar initially distrusted the Dark Templar, and ordered Zamara to remain on the Gantrithor for fear of Dark Templar attack. However, Zeratul convinced Tassadar to cooperate against the zerg. The two protoss groups and Raynor's Raiders began traveling together, and forged an alliance of mutual respect and friendship as they struggled against the zerg. When Zeratul killed Zasz the Overmind was able to read his mind and discover the location of the protoss homeworld.Overmind: "Yet shall their overweening pride be their downfall. For when the assassin Zeratul murdered Zasz, his mind touched with mine, and all his secrets were made known to me. I have taken from his mind the secret location of Aiur, the Protoss Homeworld." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Eye for an Eye (in English). 1998. The majority of the Zerg Swarm then invaded Aiur, leaving only Kerrigan and her cerebrate in command of the remaining zerg forces there, in order to hunt down the Dark Templar.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Eye for an Eye (in English). 1998. The Conclave appointed a replacement executor, Artanis. Tassadar and Zeratul, putting their powers together, contacted the new executor from Char and related why he had traveled there instead of returning home. Judicator Aldaris, Artanis' adviser, did not take well to Tassadar's friendship with the heretic Nerazim. Again, Tassadar refused to return home.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Flames (in English). 1998. More importantly, Tassadar revealed the zerg could be defeated by killing the cerebrates. As a result Artanis and Fenix's attempt to kill a cerebrate shortly afterward would fail, as they had no dark templar. That failure would cause the Conclave to brand Tassadar as a liar, traitor, and heretic. In time Tassadar was taught how to use such energies by Zeratul, blasphemy in the eyes of the Khala, and underwent the Shadow Walk. With the powers of the Khala and the Dark Templar at his command Tassadar achieved a completeness beyond the scope of the Khala.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Darkness (in English). 1998. Kerrigan and her cerebrate were the last remaining zerg commanders on Char. They continually hunted the protoss and Raiders. Having been lured into a trap by Raynor and Zeratul, the zerg assault faltered, and Tassadar used his new Dark Templar powers to slay the cerebrate, causing Kerrigan to lose control of the zerg. She immediately began bringing zerg back to her side in an inefficient process before challenging Raynor, Zeratul and Tassadar to a duel. She disabled Raynor and was defeating the two protoss commanders when they were rescued by Artanis' Fleet of the Executor. A grateful Tassadar expressed some incredulity that such a force was dispatched just to arrest him. While willing to face the Conclave's judgement Tassadar was unwilling to depart without first finding Zeratul and the Dark Templar, who had become separated and gone missing.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Hunt for Tassadar (in English). 1998. Tassadar explained it was imperative to find the Dark Templar since only their energies could permanently slay cerebrates. Raynor and Artanis, the latter despite Aldaris' objections and threats, agreed to help Tassadar.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Choosing Sides (in English). 1998. The Dark Templar were tracked to an infested terran installation. The area around the base was occupied by zerg hives and survivors of the Terran Dominion expedition. General Edmund Duke did not take kindly to the intrusion of the protoss and the protoss were forced to fight through the terrans as well as the zerg.Edmund Duke: "Protoss Commander, this is General Edmund Duke of the Terran Dominion Armada. You are in violation of our air-space and have endangered human lives in your reckless attack against the Zerg. I order you to withdraw your ships immediately. If you fail to comply, I will not hesitate to open fire upon your vessels." Tassadar: "General Duke, I am Tassadar, and you are well known to me. Whatever leniency I extended to you and your comrades before, may have been in error. If you persist in halting our course, we will burn your pathetic fleet down to the last man." Duke: "I'm going to have to assume that was a hostile response..." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Choosing Sides (in English). 1998. Once inside the installation Tassadar and a small team were aided by surviving terran soldiers against the zerg. Eventually they located Zeratul and the Dark Templar. Although wary of the Conclave, Zeratul agreed to accompany Tassadar to Aiur for the sake of their species. The Civil War :Main article: Protoss Civil War On arriving at Aiur they were joined by Fenix, now a dragoon, who delivered a warning that the Conclave was still determined to arrest Tassadar and execute the Dark Templar. Tassadar was exasperated at the Conclave's continued dogmatism, commenting that "in the face of total annihilation they still cling to their failing traditions." As Templar, Tassadar's duty was clear. He could not allow the Conclave to impede efforts to save Aiur, so he reluctantly ordered his followers to attack the Conclave.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Homeland (in English). 1998. Yet having stormed into the breach Tassadar could not bring himself to press home the attack. Appalled by the internecine bloodshed Tassadar instructed his comrades to fall back and escape and willingly surrendered himself to the Conclave.Tassadar: Executor! Aldaris! This madness must stop! The sight of my brethren slaughtering one another is more than I can stand. Though I fear you would doom us all, Aldaris, I surrender myself to the Conclave. En Taro Adun, Executor. Don't give up the fight!" Aldaris: "Tassadar of the Templar, by your actions you have severed yourself from the mercy of your brethren. You refused to destroy the Terran worlds as was commanded. You have questioned time and time again, the sacred will of the Conclave. And you have abandoned your Homeworld in its darkest hour. Most grievous of all is that you have allied yourself with the blasphemous Dark Ones, and learned to utilize their profane powers in tandem with our own! What say you, oh fallen Templar?" Tassadar: "Aldaris, I submit myself to the Conclave's judgment. But know this, given the same choices again, I would surely have made them. I have sacrificed all that our world might live. I have sullied my honor, I have discarded my rank and standing, and I have even broken our own most ancient traditions. But never think that I would, for one moment, regret my actions. For I am Templar, and above all else, I have sworn to Protect our Homeworld 'till the end." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Homeland (in English). 1998. Artanis, Fenix and Raynor resolved to rescue Tassadar, Zeratul having disappeared once more.Fenix: "Zeratul and his Dark Templar have vanished, leaving us to fend for ourselves. I wonder if Tassadar was mistaken to have put his trust in them." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Trial of Tassadar (in English). 1998. The rescue attempt was anticipated. Having fought their way to Tassadar and freed him the would-be rescuers were surrounded by additional troops loyal to the Conclave.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Trial of Tassadar (in English). 1998. Only the timely intervention of the Dark Templar allowed Tassadar and his allies to once again escape the clutches of the Conclave.Zeratul: "Stay thy hand, Judicator. The stewards of Tassadar shall not fall while the Dark Templar live. Call off your guards and stand aside, and you may yet live to see another moonrise." Aldaris: "I will not be addressed so by one so devoid of the Khala's light. You and your vile brethren shall die with these traitors." Zeratul: "Are you truly so blinded by your vaunted religion, that you can't see the fall ahead of you? Your Conclave believes that they are winning this war, but all they've succeeded in doing is helping the Overmind to win." Aldaris: "What could you possibly know about our designs, blasphemer?" Zeratul: "You speak of knowledge, Judicator? You speak of experience? I have journeyed through the darkness between the most distant stars. I have beheld the births of negative-suns and borne witness to the entropy of entire realities... Unto my experience, Aldaris, all that you've built here on Aiur is but a fleeting dream. A dream from which your precious Conclave shall awaken, finding themselves drowned in a greater nightmare." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Trial of Tassadar (in English). 1998. Tassadar was credited with wiping out the entire Conclave by preserver Zamara. Endgame Tassadar spoke with the reassembled allies and impressed upon them the dire need to destroy the Overmind. Given the resources to properly assimilate the protoss the zerg would become unstoppable. To break through to the creature the Dark Templar slew two cerebrates to weaken the defenses and distract the Overmind.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Shadow Hunters (in English). 1998. Their success drew a belated apology from Aldaris, acknowledging Tassadar's correctness.Aldaris: "Executor. Tassadar. This comes too late to you. But the Conclave has witnessed your defeat of the Cerebrate. They know now that they cannot deny the necessity or the valiancy of your actions. We sought to punish you, while it was we who were in error. You represent what is greatest in us all, and all our hopes go with you. EN TARO ADUN, brave Sons of Aiur!" StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Eye of the Storm (in English). 1998. With the way open Tassadar took to the field once more aboard Gantrithor for the assault on the Overmind proper. Alongside Raynor's Raiders the protoss bore in on the beast and managed to destroy the Overmind's outer armored shell. However, zerg resistance continued to be heavy and casualties were mounting such that it seemed unlikely the killing blow could be struck.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Eye of the Storm (in English). 1998. These sacrifices would not be in vain. To ensure victory Tassadar ordered Gantrithor to collide with the Overmind while he channeled the power of the Khala and Void through the ship itself. As he plummeted toward the creature, he contacted his former pupil Artanis, stating that he had to take the path laid before him.Burns, Matt (w) and James Waugh (w), Edouard Guiton (i) and Emanuele Tenderini (i). (October 20, 2015). Artanis: Sacrifice. Blizzard Entertainment. Artanis Sacrifice Accessed 2015-10-20. The resulting coruscating energies destroyed his body and the Gantrithor, and the unleashed power destroyed the Overmind itself. Though the Overmind was destroyed, saving creation from assimilated protoss, it was a pyrrhic victory for Aiur. The protoss homeworld lay in ruinsBlizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: Epilogue (in English). 1998. and the remainder of the zerg blindly rampaged across its surface.Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. StarCraft: Brood War (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. Twilight Messiah Tassadar's allies elevated him to martyr and hero. Tassadar's name was commonly invoked in salutations and dedications by Khalai and Nerazim alike shortly after his death.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft: Brood War. (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). November 30, 1998Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). July 27, 2010 Carriers in the style of his flagship Gantrithor continued to be constructed for years after his death in honor of his sacrifice. Zeratul had believed Tassadar to be a reincarnation of the Anakh Su'n ("Twilight Deliverer") at one point. The term "Twilight Messiah" has also been used to describe Tassadar.Metzen, Chris; Chambers, Andy; StarCraft Legacy staff. 2009-04-03. BlizzCon 2007 StarCraft Lore Panel Editorial. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-05-18. Tool of Prophecy On the eve of the Second Great War, Zeratul returned to Aiur to extract memories from the Overmind's cortex. The dark templar sought information to clarify a he found on Ulaan. Using this as an opportunity to communicate with him directly, the xel'naga Ouros, who created the Ulaan prophecy, chose the form of Tassadar as one Zeratul would instinctively trust. From this form, he imparted a vision of the future that the Overmind saw, one of a future where the protoss are annihilated should Sarah Kerrigan be killed.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Echoes of the Future (in English). 2010-07-27. Ouros would appear two more times using the Tassadar disguise. Once was on Atrias in the Temple of Erris, where Zeratul sought the final piece of the prophecy. He revealed to Zeratul there that the Keystone would usher him unto hope.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Whispers of Oblivion, Evil Awoken (in English). 2015-07-15. The last was when Kerrigan, Raynor and Artanis entered the void at the behest of Ouros to slay Amon. He used the form of Tassadar to inspire Artanis to save him from Samir Duran,Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Into the Void, Into the Void (in English). 2015-11-10. but after he was freed revealed his true form to them.Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: Last Shepard of the Cycle. (in English). 2015. Game Unit StarCraft StarCraft II StarCraft: The Board Game Tassadar appears as a playable faction in StarCraft: The Board Game, commanding the yellow protoss faction. His faction uses the Akilae Tribe. His ship, the Gantrithor, is available as a hero carrier that can be deployed in the game's Brood War expansion.Corey Konieczka, Robert A. Kouba, Dan Clark (December 17, 2008). StarCraft: The Board Game: Brood War. Fantasy Flight Games. ASIN 1589945034 Heroes of the Storm Tassadar appears as a hero in Heroes of the Storm. Notes *Tassadar was designed by Chris Metzen, and was one of the first protoss he drew. Even from the initial conception, Tassadar was an outsider, and was written to be a rogue against the Conclave. However, the decision to sacrifice Tassadar wasn't Metzen's, as Tassadar's sacrifice against the Overmind was a request by the design team. They saw it as the crescendo of the game.IGN. 2016-03-30. Celebrating 20 Years of Starcraft: An Interview with Starcraft's Creators IGN.com. Accessed 2016-03-30. *A Tassadar figure was released in 1998, based on his concept art and wielding a battle blade.Amazon, accessed on 2012-07-272012-05-04, Zerg Hydralisk. Figure of the Day, accessed on 2012-07-27 Tassadar's StarCraft II appearance was based on his action figure.PhillGonzo Deviantart, accessed on 2016-07-07 *The image of Tassadar appeared in Wings of Liberty, as in order to explain the Overmind's true nature to Zeratul in a reasonable amount of time, it would have to come from someone he would believe. Tassadar was deemed to be one such person.2011-05-31, May 2011 HoTS Fansite Interview. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2011-05-31 References Category:Protoss characters in StarCraft and Brood War Category:Protoss characters in the StarCraft and Brood War manuals Category:Protoss characters in Insurrection Category:Amazing Stories Protoss characters Category:Protoss characters of Queen of Blades Category:Protoss map and web characters Category:Protoss Templar characters Category:Heroes of the Storm